Newsline

2009-2010 Men’s Basketball Review

Release Date:

March 5, 2010

Contact:

The Office of Sports Information

(716) 649-7900 ext. 333

2009-10 Season Review- The Hilbert men’s basketball team battled through a competitive 2009-10 schedule with a team loaded with freshman and sophomores. Without a senior in the group, the only upperclassman was a junior college transfer who provided much needed leadership to the young squad. The lumps and bumps (3-22, 2-18 AMCC) they endured this winter will be used as motivation for future seasons.

The season started with an exciting overtime victory at home (72-67) against Waynesburg University. The Wing-Nuts and Hawks Supporting Hawks clubs were out in full support and that emotional energy helped to carry the team through the five-minute overtime period to secure their first win of the season. The Hawks were involved in two other overtime games which resulted in the opposite outcome. The blue and white found themselves returning to campus in early January after a longer than normal Christmas holiday break, only to face two conference opponents who were pumped and primed for the competition. Against D’Youville College, following three days of practice, Hilbert was out gunned 95-86 in OT. Then three days later, Mount Aloysius College used their home court advantage for their double overtime win (80-78).

Hilbert fans were able to be a part of the two home victories second semester. The University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg (1/18) and D’Youville College (2/10) games proved that when Hilbert scored more than 81 points in regulation, they would go onto victory.

The personnel changes as well as shuffling the line-ups were challenges typical of a young, maturing team. The point spread, on average, was a 9 point loss for the Hawks, and, with a team comprised of first and second year players, the adjustment to college ball and AMCC competition was obvious.

Junior Cody Troutman (South Dayton, NY/Pine Valley/JCC) and freshman Roman Brown (Buffalo, NY/South Park) were the only players to step on the floor and compete in all twenty-five games. The lone captain on the squad, Troutman became a player the team counted on for his steady play. He led the team with 3.1 assists per game, was second in steals (35) and minutes played per game (30.8). Brown had an outstanding year for a freshman working his way into three double doubles. He led the team in scoring (318), rebounding (170), block shots (16) while averaging 26 minutes a game. His 49.3% field goal percentage was tops for the post players finishing the season. Brown was named the Allegheny Mountain Collegiate Conference’s Player of the Week during the last week of the regular season.

Freshman Chris Parrott (Warsaw, NY/Warsaw) seemed like he was always on the floor averaging 32 minutes a game in the 24 games played (23 starts). Parrott lead the team in 3-point field goal percentage (36.3) and scored 282 points and pulled down 135 rebounds.

St. Mary’s product, Dan McFarland established himself as a scorer and rebounder as the season progressed. He finished the season ranked 3rd in scoring (238) and rebounding (115). He led the team in the offensive rebounding category (51 caroms) which was impressive for a guard. The Lancaster, NY native stole 42 balls while on defense picking his way to the team-leading spot.

Before his back injury took him to the sidelines to finish the season, Adam Matula was sharing the point guard duties with Andy Breen. Both freshman saw plenty of court time with each averaging over 17 minutes a game. Breen (West Seneca, NY/West Seneca East) finished second in assists (57) and third in steals (28) and went to the foul line for 81 attempts (second highest on team). The lower back injury that finished Matula’s season was unexpected. The Campbell-Savona graduate missed the last nine games and finished the season with 53 points, 92% free throw percentage (12-13) and 31 rebounds in 16 games played (10 starts).

Three freshman guards completed the squad, each bringing something special to the team. Eric Hinton (Bedford, OH/St. Peter Chanel) was called upon in all twenty-five games for his defense when he usually guarded the best player on the opposing team. He found his way into 17 steals, 108 points, 25 assists, and 38 rebounds. Chris Hoak (Hamburg, NY/St. Francis) was a pure shooter who lived around the 3 point line. In his eleven games played, after joining the team late, he scored 31 points, and grabbed 16 rebounds. Greg Majchrzak (Erie, PA/Seneca) transferred into Hilbert College second semester and was inserted into the starting line-up soon after he adjusted to Hilbert. Majchrzak started 3 of the 5 games played and scored 8 points and secured 7 rebounds before a pre-existing knee injury flared up.

Two players seeing minutes in the paint were sophomore Jonathan Minix (Washington, DC/Washington Christian) and Jon Leeuwen (Palmyra, NY/Marion). Both big men averaged 6 minutes a game scoring 25 points and grabbing 25 rebounds between them both.

With only one junior, one sophomore and ten freshmen expected to return, head coach Rob deGrandpre will have the opportunity to work with these young men for a few years to come and mold them into winners. Season recap notes.

Hilbert College, located in suburban Hamburg, N.Y., south of Buffalo, is a private four-year college founded in 1957 in the Catholic Franciscan tradition. With nearly 1,100 students, Hilbert is a dynamic Western New York college that offers career-focused majors, including one of the top criminal justice programs in the region, and more than 50 minors and concentrations. The college’s engaging, student-centered campus community offers numerous leadership, internship, and service learning opportunities from which students launch successful careers while making positive changes in their communities. The Hilbert Blueprint promotes a well-rounded student experience over four years – starting with the Foundations Seminar in the freshman year, followed by Sophomore Service, Junior Symposium, and culminating with the Senior Capstone. Hilbert has expanded its academic offerings with the college’s first graduate programs and new Accelerated Degree Programs geared to adult learners.